Golf club



I A. VAILE GOLF CLUB Sept. 11,1928.

Filed Sept. 24, 1927 theshaft' In golf clubs, however, the general ten-" dency hasbeen to have the'shait, or handle,

Patented Sept. 11, 1928.

warren smrss o EFICE i anaem a. VAIL EQ orcnroaeo; IL -titers, nssraifliefaren. L. imtenrie'ofafon HOLLYWOOD, ILLINOIS.

' GOLF Application 'fil'ed September '24, 15127. Serial 1%. 221,633?

This invention relates'to golf clubs'yand' more particularly'to a center-shatter club. The {main objleet ot the lnvention rs to produce-a golf 'club" having the weight 111 ter line of the force-of the stroke'or point of impactgtand having theshaftandweight arranged so as to secure'thebesti effect in aiming the: ball toward the desired ohjectiveand' obtainingpoweriin the stroke."-

Center shafted clubs zhave been known for a very eonsrderabletimer In fact,:n'early all modern ball playing implements are so made thatthe pointof impa'otns in what! maybe called the striking plane of the axial line of attachedv to or emanating? EIOPA the heelioit the -clnb wh1;ch is thatiportion nearest to the player when the ball is being addressed,v

and to have-the weight. diffused laterally be tween tllQfSllfift andtoe of the headrl In such clubs there is much 'imoretorsiona'l strain on the shaft,-with aconsequentalteration of: the

positieniot the faee of tlre'club'a't before and" aiter the moment of impact; than in a elub such EtSIlS herein shown and described.

proximately in line with the point of im pact; golf clubsaproperly centerrshafted and weighted; to obtain perfect lateral balance,"

have not been heretofore produced;

On account of thetact thatmy improved club is perfectly balanced laterally there is far less risk of slicing and pulling. the outstanding causes of misdirection; and the arrangement of the shaft relative to the head, and of the weight relative to the shaft, tends to insure both distance and good direction.

In, the drawings: 7

Figure 1 is an elevation showing the face of the head otthe club, the shaftbeing broken away.

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken in the plane of the line 22 of Figure 3, looking in the direction indicated by arrows.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken 5 represents the head of a club and 6 the shafti broken away in the drawingsifextends 1p- 1 havecho'sen to illustrate in the drawings} The shaft may be inadeof l'n'et'al or wood and if nrade ofinetal maybe solid or hollow. In this instaneedt is shown as hollow? It will, f course; be understoodthat' the" shaft 6,

wardly to a hand held portioafor grip not 1 shown.

. In 'a club of the type shown, namelyfa driver, the head ispre'ferablyinade of wood,

and shapedapprofiirnately as shownih the drawings. An upwardly extending portion 7 *ner 'es'into the hod f l h" i a t y portion 0 t 1e ead 5 such I relation thereto that; a longitudinal here for the shaft 6, extending centrally through said portion 7 andextending downwardly through theli eadfi; wilhterrnin telat the soles in a position "substantially op positea vertical line drawncentrall across? the flattened inclined face 9 oftheheadQ The shaft '6 extends throu'g' h this "longitudinal" bore and isheldto th'e clnb h'ead 5 anywell-ln iown means 'as well as by t-lie twi'ne 1 wrapping or ure 1. i

. It will be understood "thatthefforhifandthh: locat on of tlieupwardly extending portion 7 with respect to the'bodyportionofthe head mavbe somewhat varied; depending upon the desiredangle of tliefsh'a fti'6 toth'e sole 8 of th'eclub In other-words; inord'erfto alter zthe lie of the elubfthe-ilirni and location er theporti'onWnnav he varied and consequently' the angle of! the "shaft 6 altered; J all out departingfroni'the sceptermyinvemioa,

the point of impact on the face.

To give the desired weight to the head of the club, it is bored and lead 11 inserted therein through an opening 12 in the back of the head. The lead 11 is preferably dispose-d so as to have lL-S. greatest volume, and consequently its greatest weight, toward the bottom or sole of the club, to enhance the lifting power of the club; and is arranged laterally so as to be ap )roXimatelv evenly disposed on each side of the inclined plane of the axis of the shaft taken on an imaginary line extend hie: hmiia'zlantally in vmitinuation at a. line whipping 1O indic'a tedin' Fig so long as the/ end of the shaft 6 terminates drawn from the center of the face 9 through the shaft 6,. as indicated by the dotted line m-a: on Figure 2; excepting that the weight of the lead toward the side 13 is greater than the side 14 to balance the greater weight of the wood 15 of the toe of the head.

The exact formof lead 11 is immaterial, but I recommend the arrangement shown in the drawings for the reason that the weight is concentrated and'centered about the shaft 6, mainly in rear thereof, but not necessarily in engagement therewith; and is balanced laterally with respect to the line of impact between the face of the head and the shaft, and arranged vertically so as to be heavier toward the sole of the head to exert the desired lifting force upon the ball.

It will be understood that the shaft 6 may or may not extend entirely through the head to the sole 8. By the use of the phrase in the claims the shaft being connected to the'head so that the axis of the shaft will extend across a point approximately behind the intended point of impact on the face of the head, I mean that the shaft may so extend or a line in continuation of the axis of the shaft may extend in the manner stated.

I claimeas my invention:

1. A golf club of the driver class comprising a head of conventional shape and a shaft, the shaft being connected to the head so that the axis of the shaft will extend across a point laterally of the intended point of impact on the face of the head, and a weight in said head disposed laterally of said shaft and in line transversely through said shaft with the point of impact on said face.

2. A golf club of the driver class comprising a head of conventional shape and a shaft, the shaft being angularly connected to the head so that the axis of the shaft will extend across a point laterallyof the intended point of impact on the face of the head, and a weightin the head being disposed laterally substantially evenly on each side of the inclined plane of the axis of the shaft taken in a line extending in continuation of a horizontal line drawn from the center of the impact face and at an angle thereto through the shaft.

3. A golf club of the driver class comprising a head of conventional shape and a shaft, the head having a flattened face, the shaft being angularly connected with the head and terminating at the sole at a point approximately opposite a vertical line drawn centrally across the face of the head, and a weight in the head being disposed laterally substantially evenly on each side of the inclined plane of the axis of the shaft taken in a line extending in continuation of a horizontal line drawn from the center of the impact face and at an angle thereto through the shaft.

4. A golf club of the driver class comprising a head of conventional shape and a shaft, the shaft being connected to the head so that the axis of the shaft will extend across a point laterally of the intended point of impact on the face of the head, a inetalic weight heavier in its lower than at its upper portion, arranged in the head so as to be substantially evenly disposed on each side of the inclined plane of the axis of the shaft taken in a line extending in continuation of a horizontal line drawn from the center of the im pact face and at an angle thereto through the shaft.

5. A golf club of the driver class comprising a head of conventional shape and a shaft, the shaft being connected with the head and terminating at thesole at a point approximately opposite a vertical line drawn centrally across the face of the head, a metallic weight heavier in its lower than at its upper portion, arranged in the head so as to be suhstantially evenly disposed on each side of the inclined plane of the axis of the shaft taken in a line extending in continuation of a hori' zontal line drawn from the center of the impact face and at an angle thereto through the shaft.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix my signature, this 22d day of September, 1927.

PEMBROKE A. VAILE.

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